"We do appreciate the Cuban authorities' extensive co-operation to resolve this situation quickly," said Patrick Ventrell, a State Department spokesman, on Wednesday.

The United States and Cuba broke off full diplomatic ties in the early 1960s and US citizens are not allowed to spend money in Cuba without special US government permission premium gifts.

But "this was law enforcement co-operation and we're pleased that it was so extensive and we were able to resolve this quickly," Ventrell added dermes.

A US plane carrying Joshua Hakken, his wife Sharyn Patricia and their sons, aged two and four, landed in Tampa from Havana early on Wednesday, local media reported business gift.

Hakken was attempting to flee US authorities when he took his wife and boys to Cuba aboard his sailboat on Monday.

He was booked in the Hillsborough County, Florida jail and faces charges including child neglect, kidnapping, burglary and theft of a motor vehicle, while his wife faces counts of kidnapping, interference with child custody and child neglect, according to the sheriff's office Claire Hsu.

Tampa area sheriff David Gee said the couple also faces federal charges of fleeing to avoid prosecution.

Florida officials had been searching for Joshua Hakken since April 3, when he allegedly broke into his mother-in-law's house near Tampa, tied her up and fled with his young boys gift premium fair.

The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said that Hakken lost custody of the children after being arrested in Louisiana on drug charges in June, following what police described as "an anti-government rally."